Mysterious Gypsy
by Barley Shadow
Summary: After sailing on with the travellers, Roux's thinking about returning to see Vianne at the chocolaterie, until he meets the mysterious gypsy. (Complete.)
1. Hope

_**A/N: **This is shortie for you all. I wrote it yonks ago and thought I might put it up, but the chapters are quite short and I personally think it's a bit boring. But it's Roux romantic, so that makes me happy, because he's lovely._

**Chapter One: Hope**

He didn't sit with the other gypsies. In fact, most of them weren't sitting at all, but swimming in the wide river, on which floated the wooden boats and gypsy entourage that was their home. The children were all playing together, yes, he could see them from his spot. And parents were swimming, or fishing for that night's supper. He didn't swim with them, or fish. He sat alone on the riverbank, softly strumming a guitar and humming a quiet tune to himself. He moved his fingers down the frets of the guitar, tapping his feet slowly to keep the rhythm in his head, which was nodding along to the beat also, his brown hair held tight in a ponytail.

He was thinking about a woman, Vianne. A woman he'd met a few months ago, who ran a chocolaterie in a very conformist town. He hadn't seen her in months, but he wanted to, he wanted to just sail back to the place where she lived and visit her, and her daughter Anouk, and her pet kangaroo Pontouf. They were great people, they didn't hold others opinions close to them, they were, just like he, travellers. Travelling the world whenever they wished, for whatever purpose struck them.

He would rather travel than settle down. He'd rather live his own life than live his life someone else's way. He needed freedom like he needed the air he breathed, and travelling gave him just that. And he always had people to look out for him, they were his family, not blood relatives, but he'd travelled with them for so long they should have been. True, he didn't have a family of his own, and for the moment, he didn't feel he needed one, if he wanted to be with children there were plenty that were other peoples. But maybe, when the right person came along, and he didn't feel that it was Vianne.


	2. Mysterious Gypsy

Chapter Two: Mysterious Gypsy

As you descend the grassy bank down to the river, you stop. It was your favorite place to play, you'd seen it as your boat went by a couple of days ago and you'd come back every day to sit beneath the quiet trees and strum your guitar, composing tunes. But today you hear music already coming from the river, and as you get closer you can see boats moored to the trees. These weren't your boats, your 'family,' as that's what you called them, were moored at least a mile futher along the river. You slip, your long, wavy, corn-colored hair falling over your shoulders, and your guitar shifts slightly on its strap, but you quickly regain your balance. You now see where the music's coming from, a man with long hair and sunglasses is sitting against a tree, strumming his own guitar, he looks over his shoulder at you, after hearing you slip to make sure you're ok. For a moment you stare at him like a rabbit caught in car headlights, but then he smiles and takes off his glasses, and you smile back, and continue down the bank to meet him.

"Hey," he greets you, with an Irish accent. "A fellow musician?" he asks, noticing your guitar.

"Of sorts," you reply. "Do you mind if I?" you ask.

"Oh no," he smiles, and you sit down beside him. You pull your guitar to your front and begin to pick a tune on the strings. The mysterious gypsy quickly picks up the tune and strums along with suitable chords.

"Roux," he introduces himself.

"Barley," you reply.

"Barley? As in the corn?" he asks.

"I imagine so," you reply, changing your picking to strumming. "I was born on the full moon of September, the barley moon." You both play for a moment.

"To tell you the truth, it's nice to have someone else to talk to, I mean, the guys are ok, but it's nice to talk to someone who's not a river rat," he says.

"Then you'll be disappointed," you say. He grins.

"I should have known by your clothes," he says. "They don't look like tradition townspeople clothes." You're wearing a flowery shirt, and long gypsy skirt.

"Our boats are moored about a mile off, but I come here to play." A little girl runs up to Roux, she's dressed in a dirty skirt and cardigan.

"Pony, sing me a song about a pony," she requests. Roux starts strumming.

"Once upon a time there was a green pony, who didn't have a name, and didn't have a home," Roux sang. "And he wandered from place to place, every day alone."

"Why's he alone?" the girl asked.

"Because everyone wants a white pony and not a green one," says Roux. "Are you gonna go and play now?" she nods and runs off.

"A green pony?" you ask.

"Sure, why not? Color of Ireland," Roux replies.

"Fair enough," you say. "I should really be getting back. How long do you think you'll be staying here?"

"A week, maybe two, if I find a reason to stay," says Roux, you get to your feet.

"Then I might see you again," you say. Just as you turn to leave, Roux gets up and stops you.

"Wait," he calls, and walks over to his boat, and takes something out of a tin, he walks up to you and turns you around so your back is to him. It's a necklace, which he places around your neck, and fastens.

"A pretty necklace, for a pretty gypsy." You smile your thanks and walk back happily to your boat.

A mysterious gypsy, a handsome, myserious gypsy. There had been something in his eyes, and his voice, and you knew fate would cross your paths again.

"Pretty necklace," calls Bion across from one of your boats. Your 'family' had adopted him a few months ago in France. He'd felt the call of the river, as your father said, and left his quiet life in town. He was sweet, but you weren't interested in him, he was the only other person of your age that you knew.

"I know," you reply. "I met a pretty handsome gypsy a little while ago." You put the guitar on the boat.

"Where?"

"There's another family about a mile down the river, he'd taken my playing spot."

"And he gave you a necklace?" Bion asks, leaning forward, his dark hair tied up loosely with an elastic band.

"He did. Problem with that?"

"Have you told your father?" Bion asks.

"No, not all other travellers are a threat, don't you think we've got enough enemies already, without making enemines of others of our own?" you ask.

"He should know," Bion answers, taking a stack of baskets over to another boat.


	3. Palms

_**A/N: **I'd just like to say, I think this was my first ever attempt at a fanfic and I haven't read it through in ages, so I might after I post, and I think it sucks, but, I've got reviews for this!!! What's wrong with you people??? Not that I'm complaining or anything. So, I shall finish posting the lot of it for you. Just to prove I'm a nice person._

_Calling all British peoplings!!! Ed Wood is on tonight, I haven't got the channel for it but Claire's bro's taping it to add to our Johnny Depp marathon._

Chapter Three: Palms

You descend the bank to where Roux's boats are. He's sitting, back against the same tree.

"Roux," you call, walking down the bank. "You're in my seat." He turns, smiles, and stops playing his guitar.

"Oh am I?" he asks, grinning. "And what're you goin' to do about it?"

"Well, I could drag you away by your hair, I could crack you over the head with my guitar," you threaten. "But seeing as I'm not a violent person, I won't." You sit beside him, his hands are cradled in his lap.

"You're very kind," says Roux, shifting his hands.

"Where is everyone?" you ask, noticing how quiet it is.

"Dunno, probably lookin' for jobs in the village. You haven't told your folks we're here," he states.

"No. Bion wanted me to, but I think we've both got enough enemies as it is," you strum your guitar quietly. Then you stop, staring at Roux's palms. You take your guitar off and reach out for his right hand. He takes his guitar off and manoeuvres himself so he's sitting opposite you. You cradle his hand in yours, looking intensly at the lines, running your right index finger over his palm.

"You have a water hand," you say.

"And that would mean what to me?" he asks, in return. You look skeptically up at him.

"You're quiet, dreamy, insecure," you state.

"Oh, fair enough," he replies.

"You're romantic," you add.

"How'd you know?"

"Because your hands tell me. And hands never lie."

"I know I'm romantic, wouldn't it be more useful to hear somethin' I didn't know?"

"Your hands tell you about yourself. I'm assuming, you know everything about yourself," you query.

"Yes I do, so whats the point in this?" You roll your eyes in exasperation at him.

"Alright then, I won't read your palm. I won't tell you who you're going to fall in love with and I won't tell you you're going to die next Saturday," you say defiantly. He looks at you suspiciously.

"And you can tell this just by lookin' at my hand?"

"No," you disagree sheepishly. "If you don't believe in it, just think of it as a bit of fun." Roux's silent, and you continue to study his palm.

"I am romantic, y'know."

"Personally? No, I don't know. You're over-confident too," you reply.

"What tells you that?" Roux asks, becoming mildly interested.

"Your head line slopes downwards, see?" you trace his head line with your little finger. "Meaning you're over-confident, and independent."

"I am. I'm romantic as well."

"Is there a point with the romantic thing?" you ask.

"No. I'm just sayin'," Roux pouts.

"Your fate line echos your head line, confidence, independence and success. Ah," you pause.

"What is it?" asks Roux in a teasingly panic striken voice.

"Your heart line says you have a masculine nature," you begin, but he cuts you off.

"Well that's good." You laugh and look into his dark mysterious eyes, which captivate you for a moment. When you at last have the strength to look away, you realize you're sitting with his hand in your lap, and move it to your knee.

"And you maintain a good balance between your emotional and physical sides," you continue. "Which makes you warm and generous." You pause for a moment. "And," you stutter slightly. "And you're easily aroused by your own desires." You chance another look into those eyes which are already fixed on you, he leans forward and kisses you gently on your lips. You lift a hand to his cheek, but as soon as you touch it he pulls away.

"What?" you ask.

"I, my. I think, my, my heart lies somewhere else."

"You think?" you ask again. He looks up at you, and you know not to question him further. You pick up your guitar and strum a few bars of a new song you're working on.

"So, where did you learn palmistry?" he asks, strumming on his own guitar.

"My mother taught me when I was younger, before she left. It's not really a useful talent, but more gypsy tradititon, and I can get a few francs for reading in towns. There's a lot more to it than what I showed you, the hand is more complicated, and there are more deeply etched markings, but most people don't want to sit for longer, and the hand type and lines read the most accurately," you explain. Roux looks like he's deep in thought, and not about palmistry.

"She's called Vianne," he starts. "She travels from town to town too, but making a home each time. She's not prejudice like other townspeople, and she has a daughter, Anouk, they own a chocolaterie."

"Then why didn't you stay?" you ask.

"Because I couldn't be tied down and my people were movin' on."

"So why are you going back?"

"I don't know."

Over the next few days, you got to know Roux better. Bion told your father about him himself, but your father didn't seem bothered by other gypsies, he showed neither happiness nor violence. Until one day.


	4. Goodbye

Chapter Four: Goodbye

Marella, from one of your boats, and almost a mother-figure to you, had suggested a party. You love gypsy parties, the music and dancing and firelight awakens something in your soul every time. You asked if the other gypsies could come. After much persuading, your father agreed you could invite them, but you knew Bion would not welcome them, and be wary and hostile.

"You're havin' a river rat party," Roux said one morning when you were down with his boats, both throwing stale bread into the river for the ducks.

"Why do you always refer to yourself as a river rat? Don't you ever find it degrading?" you ask.

"It's what I am, and I'm proud of what I am." Roux stops throwing bread, he lifts a hand up to touch the necklace he gave you.

"How'd you know about the party?" you ask.

"Oh I heard some people talkin' about it in town," he replies, getting some more bread. "That necklace suits you."

"Roux, nothing's going to happen between us until you've spoken to Vianne and sorted out what you want, so stop flirting. Are you going to come to the party?" He thinks for a moment.

"Yes."

The bonfire was lit, some people were toasting food amongst the flames, others were playing music and others were dancing, but Roux wasn't there. Just as you were about to give up hope of his coming, eight or nine boats are seen floating down the river towards you, each lit with hundreds of lamps and candles which twinkle in the dusk. Roux is standing at the front of the first boat, like a Captain aboard his ship. He tosses you a rope and you tie it round a tree, mooring it safely. All of his twinkling boats are roped together, so as the first stops, they all stop, slowly bobbing in the middle of the river. Then twenty or thirty people come ashore, dancing and clapping, or holding guitars. You dance with Roux and Marella for a while, then you and Roux sit down to eat potatoes baked on the bonfire, watching the others take over the dancing. After you've both finished eating, Roux gets up, and extends a hand to help you up to your feet for more dancing. You play a few tunes with the ever growing ensemble of musicians, when Roux takes your hand and leads you through the trees by the river, a little way from the party.

"Roux," you say, trying to keep up with him. "We'll be missed." He stops suddenly, and you walk into him, he puts and arm around you, bringing you closer, but you can sense something is troubling him, you can see it in his chocolate brown eyes. "Roux, what is it?"

"Tomorrow, we're leavin'. We're travellin' back, so I can see Vianne, but, I know this life too well, and I know that if we part, I'll probably never see you again."

"Roux, I'm not being your standby," you say, suddenly angry. "You don't want me, you want Vianne, and if she won't have you you'll settle for me, well it doesn't work like that Roux," you shrug yourself out of his grip, almost in tears but refusing to give him the satisfaction. "If you go back to her, don't expect me to still be here when it doesn't work out. I'm not going to be tied down Roux, not by anyone or anything. If you leave, I won't wait for you." You turn around to head back to the party, but Roux calls out to you.

"Wait!" you turn around, and he walks closer to you.

"I'm not goin' back to Vianne to stay with her, I'm goin' back to say goodbye, come with me."

"What?"

"If I leave you, you won't wait," Roux repeats, inches from your face. "So come with me. I want you."

"So why are you saying goodbye to her? We go back and you realize you do want her, I've lost my family, my home. I can't trust you not to do that Roux," you say, turning around and walking back through the trees to the party. Roux doesn't follow you, he waits, and slowly a tear forms in his eye and runs down his cheek.


	5. Sensuous

_**A/N: **Sorry to keep you guys and gals waiting. I do apologize, and, to show you how much I'm sorry, I'm gonna post 2 chappies!_

_xx_

Chapter Five: Sensuous

Roux wakes up early on his boat, once the party had finished, and it had gone on for a while, he'd packed what he had onto his boat in preparation for leaving the next morning. After leaving him amongst the trees you hadn't seen him, and now you are asleep, not needing to see him, but he needs to see you. Taking a break from checking his packing, he comes down to the boat he knows you're in, gently coming aboard as to not wake you, he watches you sleep for a moment before putting a daisy in your blond hair, and leaving. A few minutes later, you wake.

Roux unties the strings of boats and they slowly drift down the river. As the penultimate boat passes yours, you step up on deck with your guitar over your shoulder, and a bag in your hand, the rest of Roux's family are sleeping soundly, as you step onto the last boat and quiently walk from boat to boat until you're on the first one, where Roux is standing, looking ahead. You approach him, he doesn't hear you or see you until you step up to his side, holding the daisy in front of him. He turns around, smiles, and hugs you tightly, you drop your bag and hug him back. As you hold him, you realize that you do trust him to stay, and not to return to the heart of Vianne, and all the feelings you have for him are multiplied, and you'd trust him with your life.

Two nights further down the river, you're laying on your back with Roux, on the first boat, gazing up at the stars.

"What sun sign are you?" you ask, cuddling up to him.

"What?" he answers, confused.

"When were you born?" you ask, simpler.

"Beginnin' of September," he replies.

"So you're Virgo, like me," you say.

"Is this another one of those fortune tellin' things?" he asks, you nod and point towards the sky.

"You see that bright star there?" you ask, he moves his head closer to yours to see your eyeline, he nods. "That's part of Virgo, the other stars are duller so you probably won't recognise the pattern unless you know what you're looking at."

"So what does that tell me I'm like?" asks Roux.

"Well," you begin. "You're stubborn, possessive, narrow-minded, obstinate."

"But you're all these nasty things too?"

"Yup, also, patient, trustworthy, and sensuous," you relay some good Virgoean traits.

"Sensuous?" queries Roux, lying on his side he tucks a strand of hair from your face behind your ear, you stare up at him into his chocolate eyes.

"Very sensuous," you reply as he leans down and kisses you passionately, running his tongue over your lower lip, then kissing your neck, shoulders, and what's exposed of your chest. You slide your hand from his hair, to his waist. And he begins to move his own hand up your leg, moving your skirt up as he does so, stroking your thighs.

"You know," he begins, breaking away. "This really isn't the best time for this." You sit up, thinking you'd done something wrong. He gives you a reasurring look. "Boats are kind of rocky, and it'd be obvious to everyone sittin' in the boat behind this one, what we're doing. And y'know it'd be better, if we wait." He wraps an arm around you, and gives you a protective kiss on your forehead.

"Sure," you agree. You look sideways at him and smile to yourself. "You know, Virgo's are afraid to take risks too," you say, flirtatiously.

"What?"

"Virgo's are always afraid to take risks, they're not daredevils, they're worried what other people will think."

"The only people I care about what they think, is, you, and the guys on that second boat back there. But, I guess most of them will be asleep by now," says Roux. "So, maybe, if we're discreet, we could have a little bit of fun."

"Sounds great."


	6. Vianne

_**A/N: **To all my sparkly reviewers, and reviewees, DarkAlavine, Evil Duckie of the Black Lagoon, Jacks-Strumpet, untouchable1400, Girlofthenight, to everyone, thank you._

_xx_

Chapter Six: Vianne

There comes a time in everyone's life, when they're waiting, for a job reply, exam results, a bus, eccetera, and this was your time. Roux had told you that you were about half an hour from Vianne's little town, and that he wouldn't be staying there long. It is only about half past nine in the morning, the sun is up and playing on the river through the trees. The children are already in the water as the day is very warm, closely followed by parents. You had asked Roux if he wanted you to come into the village with him, but he had said no, he wanted to go alone, and you respected that. However, you weren't going to spend the day idly doing nothing. When Roux had left to see Vianne, you spent a few minutes in the boat, worriedly wondering if he would come back as he said he would, and not stay with Vianne. You shook this thought out of your head, the river was his home, he wouldn't leave that, and he loved you, he wouldn't leave you. You quickly changed and then dived into the river with the other gypsies, splashing and playing with the children you had come to love, and swimming from side to side, careful not to touch the bottom of the dirty river. After about an hour, you got back onto the boat, you were the first to leave the river, and you quickly dried in the heat, your fingers regaining their elastisicty that they had lost in the water when your skin had become wrinkled. Continuing with the composition of a song on your guitar, you played for a while, sitting first on the boat, and then on the bank, dreaming of love songs, poetry and Roux. Speaking of Roux, he had said he'd be back over an hour ago, the time had flown quickly since beginning to play, music just had that effect on you. Deciding to go to the village, you unstrap your guitar, take a few coins and head up the bank.

The village seems pretty enough, quaint and friendly, people stop to say good morning, or good afternoon as it has now become. After walking past a statue of a previous Comte, you see a small café, after approaching it, you see it is named Café Armande, and you are welcomed inside where you buy a drink to quench your thirst. You ask the waitress where the chocolaterie is, and she gives you simple directions. A few minutes later, you leave the café, and follow the directions until you find the chocolaterie, where you see Roux inside, talking to, you presume, Vianne, who's behind the counter. They're both sitting down, drinking from mugs, and laughing like old friends, which you think is odd, as Roux had said he'd come to say goodbye, and was due back at the river over two hours ago. You don't enter the chocolaterie, but wait outside for a moment, watching, half hidden by the window display, but clear enough in view so you can see what's happening. Roux takes a sip of his drink, and then Vianne stands, takes his hand, and they both go upstairs.

Anger surges through you, 'how _could_ he? How could he be saying goodbye and then following her up the stairs?' You leave the chocolaterie window, and storm off down the small cobbled street, nearly knocking over several people but not really noticing, or caring. You reach the top of the river bank and sit down, resting your back against a tree, knees drawn up under your chin, and begin to sob into your long skirt. 'All the time, _all the time_ he loved Vianne, what the _hell_ were you thinking, he could never love a river rat like you. Freedom, yes he needed his freedom, like he needed the air he breathed. Now he's gone, he's got his love, and he's got his chocolate, and it was just that easy to leave the freedom, leave the river that he used to love.' You feel so betrayed, so used and hurt. Now you've got nothing, you have no idea where your own family are, and you refuse to stay with his, you hardly know them, you've been with them a week and now the only one you did know, or _thought_ you knew, had gone, and you were lost, alone, and forgotten. You were homeless, you had nowhere to go, no job and no family, no friends, no money and very little dignity left. How the _hell_ did you fall for that going back to say goodbye? What the hell were you thinking the morning after he said 'come with me'? You were thinking you could trust a river rat, your father had always said you could never trust anyone, not people in towns, and not even other gypsies, even though they knew the life you led, and that's _why_ there are families of gypsies, those you can trust, and those you can't. That is _why_ he had a different family, that is why Bion didn't like him. But how did Bion know that? Because you can't trust other gypsies, its just an unwritten rule, the only people you can trust is your family, whether blood related or family related, you cannot trust other people! He's a gypsy, _everyone_ knows gypsies can't be trusted, _everyone_ avoids them like the plague and why should it be different just because you're a gypsy? Why should he be different when it's people like him who get the bad reputation for people like you? How you always long to yell at people in towns, and tell them that it's wrong to tar every gypsy with the same brush, but you've just gone and proved them right, well done. You're a right good advert for making friends with gypsies, when gypsy and gypsy can't even get along, how the _hell_ are townspeople going to do it?

And you come to realise that you are a gypsy, _he's_ the river rat, and you come to despise the fact that you share the same river with him, let alone culture, if you could call your cultures the same, when culture is what you do and what you believe in. You don't believe in betrayal, deception and trickery, you believe in the old ways, the Romany ways, where people travel from place to place selling their trade, not deceiving people and tricking them for their own greed and want. 'I can't stay here,' you sob into your skirt, rubbing your eyes. 'I need to go.' Where? The river had always been your home, but you had always had a family, a safe group of people to go with, but now you don't even have a boat, there's no way you can go anywhere.

Yes, you can. You can take Roux's boat, after all, he won't be needing it anymore, he's got all the freedom he needs with Vianne, and her daughter, Anouk or whatever it was she was called. You can take his boat, and sail down the river, your family can't have gone too far, your father was talking about staying for a few weeks somewhere along this stretch of river, if you set off tonight you could reach where you left them in a week, and travel further down stream in another week to where they would have got to by now, and they'll be there because they're staying there a while, you might even have chance to stay there a while yourself if you make good time. Yes, you'll take Roux's boat.


	7. Stubborn Virgo

_**A/N: **I know at the minute Roux's a beep beepbeep beep beep but can any of you be mad at him for long? I don't know if he's gonna stay a beep beepbeep beep beep yet, he might, but somehow I doubt it. Actually, hmmm, it'd be different to all the other Chocolat romance stories. . ._

Chapter Seven: Stubborn Virgo

Roux didn't come back by nine, so you climbed on his boat and seperated it from the others, and quietly slid down the river, unnoticed.

After two days you were beginning to get bored, there was nothing to do on the boat alone, apart from watch the banks go by and play your guitar, which began to feel like a chore as you wanted to do something different. You weren't looking foreward to maybe another week alone on this boat, you didn't want to swim or make music. You tried to sleep to pass the time, but you always woke before you wanted to, and your dreams were filled with Roux, and Vianne. You caught a few fish which you cooked over Roux's small gas stove to eat for supper, and over the time you were sailing alone, ate evrything that Roux had on the boat.

Sometimes you cried, cried and cried, thinking about Roux, and thinking about Vianne. You sometimes let the anger bubble up inside you, for what purpose you didn't know, while other times you tried to quiet it, which didn't really work either, so most of the time you felt depressed, tearful, and tired.

It didn't take a week to get back to your family. It took nearly two, but you did find them. One morning when you stood on deck, looking into the bright sunlight ahead of you, you saw boats moored to the bank, so you sailed over, and it was them.

"Father!" you call as you enter his boat, after docking Roux's. Your father looks up and smiles as he sees you, taking you into a strong embrace.

"Why are you back? We didn't think we'd see you again," he says.

"Roux left me, he said he was going back to say goodbye to Vianne, but when he didn't come back to the boat I went into the town and saw Vianne lead him upstairs in her shop. So I took his boat and sailed home to find you. I've missed you so much."

"Come on, he didn't leave you, you left him, and I'm proud you had the strength to. Bion has missed you, he doesn't tell anyone but he's been different for weeks since you left," your father says. Bion. What were you going to say to him? He had been right. Maybe he had his own experience with this. You draw back from your father, and go to look for him. He had already seen you go to see your father, and was waiting for you to return. As you step onto the bank you see him, and go over.

"Bion, you were right," you say, tears welling up inside you again. "We can't trust other gypsies, we can't trust anyone." Bion took you into his arms and held you for a moment.

"It's alright, I knew a stubborn Virgo like you would have to see things for yourself before you'd believe them," he says, you laugh and prod his ribs playfully.

"Bion," you begin, not sure how he's going to take this. "I will always have feelings for you, but I can never love you." He laughs and you feel surprised.

"Well that's good," he replies. "While you've been gone I've fallen in love," you want to know more. "We passed a big town a couple of miles back, you probably saw it yesterday, and we picked a girl up there, Célina. I just know she's the one for me, we're so similar, she's Virgo, and I'm Pisces, were so compatible, and she's so kind and loving, and gentle and romantic. People always say gypsies don't fall in love, not when they fall so quickly, but I don't think I'm not in love."

"Oh, Bion," you say, coming out of his arms. "I'm so happy for you. You must take me to meet her!" Bion guides you through the boats until you come to his, where a girl is sitting, she has long, wavy, black hair, and beautiful, deep, brown eyes, eyes just like Roux. You push him out of your mind, you can't go weak whenever you see brown eyes, most of the population have them. She's wearing traditional townspeople clothes, and she stands up when you enter with Bion and hugs him.

"Célina, this is a friend of mine, she's been like a sister to me since I came here, she's taught me everything I know about the stars and life," Bion says. You hold out your hand for Célina's and she gives it to you, you turn her hand palm up and study the features for a moment. She looks at Bion, interested.

"You're very compatible," you say, letting go of her hand.

"See? She knows everything, she can tell everything by hands and the stars."

"I love it when people say nice things about me," you smile, and settle yourself down, ready for a long conversation with Bion and Célina in the boat.

You've spent a few hours with Bion and Célina, and it's beginning to get dark, most of the family are back from the town, and happy to see you home. Marella hugs you like you're her life source, and you happily sit down around a bonfire, cooking food, playing music and talking. Marella hasn't let you out of her sight, and Bion and Célina are with you too, Célina and Marella are already getting on like a house on fire. There's so much laughter and happiness, that you've completely forgotten about Roux. Until now. He slowly creeps back into your mind, and you desperately push him out of it, trying to concentrate on Marella's vivid storytelling. You can't do it. He's always there. People say it takes time to get used to change, and you guess it'll take you a while or so to forget him, but you're sure you will do it eventually, he will no longer have a place in your heart, or your life, or anyone else's life here, he's gone, and he's not welcome back. Marella notices that you're deep in thought and pauses her storytelling.

"Are you alright?" she asks. "Are you thinking of Roux?"

"Yes," you admit. "I think it'll take me a while to forget him." Marella puts an arm around you.

"That's fine," she says. "He's not coming back, we'll never see him again, so just forget him. You're with us, and we're never going to let you go, because we all love you so much."

"Oh Marella," you sob, putting your arms around her and crying into her shoulder, she notions for Bion and Célina to leave you for a moment, and they do, disappearing into the family, singing, dancing and laughing.


	8. Unwelcome

_**A/N: **Roux comes to make the peace, but will you let him?_

Chapter Eight: Unwelcome

After spending a few nights reunited with your family, you all begin to pack up what you've got, to head down the river the following morning, leaving behind this bank, and leaving behind the memory of Roux, you hope. Everything of yours is already packed, you'd only taken the bare essentials with you when you had left with Roux, and those were still unpacked in the bag you had brought back. You help Marella with her packing, talking endlessly and laughing, telling jokes and stories, talking about Bion and Célina, you had both always been known as the gossip of the family. Everyone worked so hard they became hungry, and therefore it was lunch time, Célina and Bion were looking most respectable, so they went into the village to get some food. Some of the children of the family came galloping into Marella's boat where you both were, singing a song about a pony.

'"Sing me a song about a pony,'" a voice said in your head. '"Once upon a time there was a green pony, who didn't have a name, and didn't have a home, and he wandered from place to place, every day alone."' You feel suddenly sad. That had been the day you met Roux, sing a song about a pony. A green pony, color of Ireland. No. Roux _wasn't_ part of your life anymore, Roux didn't _deserve _to be part of your life anymore, and you were happy without him. You _were _happy without him, or were you just trying to convince yourself you were happy without him? There was something missing within you, some hole where Roux had ripped part of you away, and even though you hated him, like you had never hated anyone before, even the townspeople, you wanted him to fill it. Still, in time you would get over him, the hole would fill like a wound mends, and he would be gone, wiped out of your history, yes, that would be best.

Again, night had fallen rather quickly, even though it was summer and still very warm. You sat on the bank with Marella and Célina, Bion was somewhere else, and it was nice just to be surrounded by girls. You all lay on your backs, staring up at the sky, Marella had taught you about the sky and the stars, what they meant and how they formed. And now you were teaching Célina, and you knew the tradition would go on forever. You were busy pointing out different stars, different shapes, patterns, and talking about what they mean, and what they mean to different people, and all the complexities star-gazing held. You were so far in thought and explanation, you didn't notice the faint twinkling in the distance, of a procession of candle covered boats, softly drifting towards you.

Marella noticed it first, she had been gazing up at the sky too, but not teaching like you were. She had taught you, and now it was your turn to pass on her knowledge. She lifted her head up to reposition it, and saw the lights. She prods you.

"Hey," she says. "Don't look now, but there's people coming down the river, and they remind me of someone." Instinctively, you look, and at once recognise the boats as those of Roux's famiy. You hold your breath, surely, without him on board, they will just pass, not mooring at this bank. But they did moor here, just like before, one moored and the others came to a standstill.

"Do you think he's here?" you whisper to Marella.

"I would imagine so, otherwise they would have carried on, gypsies don't stop with others unless they want to see them."

"I'm going inside," you say, standing up. Marella and Célina follow you, not leaving your side. As you enter your boat, you see people leaving theirs and coming over towards your family. Célina goes to her boat, and wakes Bion, who comes at once to you, and you feel glad, Bion would protect all of you. He doesn't come into your boat as Célina does, and she sits with you and Marella.

"Why is he here?" you ask them, slowly rocking backwards and forewards, tears pricking your eyes. "I don't want to see him, he can just go away. He's probably only here to get his boat back, well, he can take it and leave, I don't want him docking here for the night." Marella stands up.

"I'll go and undo their mooring," she whispers, and leaves. Célina stays with you, a protective arm around your shoulders. You can hear people talking outside. Then you hear Bion's voice, and a thud. Célina peers out of the boat.

"I think someone's been hit," she says. "I'm going to make sure Bion's alright," and she also leaves you, alone in the boat. You then hear her voice.

"Roux?" she asks. Then you hear Roux positive answer, and you sink back into the depressional whirlpool you were in, Roux left you, yet part of you wanted to see him again, part of you wanted him back whatever he had done. He was here now, right? That meant he wasn't with Vianne. Unless she was here too, tears streamed down your cheeks and you tried so hard to keep them silent. Anyway, you didn't want Roux. Or did you?

"Have you got any idea what you've done to her?" you hear Célina hiss angrilly. "You are not talking to her."

"Why not?" he asks.

"I can't believe you."

"Célina, bring him here," you say, wiping the tears from your face with your shirt and sitting up. A moment later, Célina comes into the boat, closely followed by Roux, and then Bion.

"Give us a minute will you?" you ask them, and Célina and Bion leave. You look at Roux, he looks tattier than when you last saw him, and there's blood running from his nose, Bion must have hit him, he dabs at it with his shirt sleeve, and says nothing.

"So, you leave, then come and find me, and expect me to start the conversation?" you say, you stand up, facing him.

"Why did you run away?" he asks in return.

"Why did you go upstairs with Vianne?" you ask, determined not to let him undermine you, he looks surprised you know what he had done with Vianne. "You're here, you're grovelling, get started."

"Nothin' happened with Vianne, I just got, caught up, y'know?" he says. You can't believe you're hearing this, he got caught up? And now he's trying to get himself out of this.

"No, I don't know, tell me," you reply.

"Anouk's ill, I couldn't leave without sayin' goodbye to her, that's why we went upstairs, nothin' happened up there," he says.

"You said you'd be back! You were eight hours late! Well, you know what? It doesn't matter now. I don't know why you came here, oh yes, your boat, it's at the back of ours, I'm sure you'll recognise it, feel free to take it then leave."

"I'm not goin' anywhere without you," says Roux. "You think it doesn't matter now? It might not matter to you but it matters to me, I love you. I came back and you weren't there. I knew that you'd gone back, I knew I'd taken too long. I'm sorry," he says.

"You're sorry?" you almost scream. "You've hurt me Roux, like you can never imagine, and you're sorry? Well, I suppose that's better than nothing," you sniff, running your arm under your nose. "But that's not good enough."

"What do you want me to do? I know I've screwed up but I don't know what I can do."

"You can't do anything, there is nothing to do," you say, walking to the door of the boat.

"Nothin' happened, I don't want to loose you over nothin'," Roux says.

"Well I'm already lost," you say, opening the door for him.

"Alright." He walks through the door, but stops as he gets there and turns to face you, holding out a daisy. You don't take it, just glare at him, hoping every second that he'd leave, and finally, he does.


	9. Still Here?

_**A/N: **Next chappie's gonna be the last folks, so enjoy Roux while you can!_

Chapter Nine: Still Here?

"Are you still here?" shouts Bion to Roux the next morning.

"Yes," comes Roux's reply.

"Well you're free to this bank," says Bion, walking away. He unties the mooring on the boats of yours tied to the bank, letting the wind and current slowly pull you along. Roux immediately unties his mooring, and follows. Célina steps up on the last boat, looking towards Roux who is about three meters behind her.

"You just don't know when you've past your welcome do you? Not that you were welcome here anyway, why don't you just leave her alone?" she shouts back to him.

"I can't leave her alone, I love her. So I'll go wherever she is," replies Roux, throwing sticks into the river. You can hear the raised conversation in your boat. You decide to get up. Upon leaving the cabin of the boat you come across the scene. Roux calls to you but you ignore him, walking over to Bion. "If I can't come to you, come to me," he says.

"And what if I don't want to?" you ask bitterly.

"Please," he pleads with you. The boats are getting closer, and you feel you might as well jump over, and tell him to get lost once and for all. So you do jump, and almost fall in the river, but Roux catches you, you shrug your way out of his grasp quickly, and he takes you into his cabin.

"Why are you doin' this to me?" he asks.

"What kind of question is that? You did this to me!" you cry.

"So you're doin' this to me out of revenge, but you still love me?" he asks.

"I never loved you," you say, it's a lie, but maybe it will put him off.

"Yes you did, yes you do, I can see it in your eyes. You're not the only one who can read the future, we're meant to be together. Don't leave me out of spite, I'll never leave you." You sit down, and he sits beside you, taking your hand. "The day after I met you, you read my palm, and told me I was insecure. I am. Over-confident too, you know more about me than I do, just by readin' my palm. You did make me feel insecure, you made me feel like I knew nothin' about myself, and I know you were right, I am stubborn, I am independent, I am narrow-minded, I am romantic, I am all of those things. I don't think you can tell all of those things, just by a hand, I think you know me, I think we're meant to be together. I've missed you like I've ne'er missed anythin' before, and we've only been seperated for a week."

"Free tickets for the guilt trip Roux," you say, a little more calmly. "I've missed you too." You hug him, and he hugs back, softly crying into your shoulder, and vowing never to let you go again. "I hate to think what Bion will think about this. Roux, I don't forgive you, you've still got a lot of grovelling to do. And stay away from Bion and Célina, they can be vicious."

Roux didn't leave, he did stay with you, and when your boats moved on, so did his. A few days passed and it almost seemed like you were one family. Sometimes you slept by Roux in his cabin, sometimes you both slept under the stars on the banks, sometimes you were alone. But you did forgive him over time. But you weren't going to tell him that, you could have so much fun without him knowing. One night, you were both looking up at the stars.

"I knew you'd take me back y'know," he said.

"You're not taken back, you're still on probation, but what makes you think that?" you ask.

"That necklace I gave you, you ne'er took it off."

"Maybe I just like it." It was true, maybe, subconciously, you hadn't taken the necklace off because you wanted to be with Roux. Maybe it did have supernatural powers that would draw you together again.

"Maybe," he agrees, snuggling into your arms.

The next morning, you told Roux you'd forgiven him, and you'd asked Marella how she felt about having another party. You could have guessed what she'd say. No sooner had the words left your mouth was she organizing things. You could see that Célina and Bion were trying to make friends with the other gypsies, and not having much success, but you and Roux both thought it was funny. Night drew in, and a bonfire was lit, food was toasted, and it was the traditional gypsy party that you love.

Your father had told Roux that he was happy for him and his family to travel with you, if they wanted to, and they accepted the offer, so now you're are one big family. You know everyone was uncomfortable at first, not to say the least your father, but he knew that if he wanted you to stay with him, he'd have to accept Roux, which he did.

Between eating and dancing, you take Roux over to your cabin.


	10. The Cards

_**A/N: **Last one's a shortie!_

Chater Ten: The Cards

"You know," you begin, looking for something in the cabin, "If we were drawn together by fate, as you believe, you won't mind doing one last thing for me."

"And what might that be?" he asks. You find what you were looking for, some cards. You separate them out into their groups; colors, numbers, shapes, and places, and lay them down where Roux's sitting on the floor. "Another fortune telling," he answers himself.

"Pick one from each group," you instruct. He does so, selecting cards and placing them seperately. You begin to read them.

"This is done every day, as your feelings change each day. Alright. Purple, interesting."

"What does it mean?"

"It corresponds to the seventh chakra, you're seeking spiritual growth, and have a lack of concern for material things. The number eight, you like power, but you must stop when you have what you want, and not become drunk with power," you advise.

"I could never do that," says Roux, sarcastically, smiling.

"The moon, corresponds to the throat, you feel like speaking. And the ocean," you pause.

"The ocean," Roux prompts. You wipe the cards from the floor, advancing towards Roux and pushing him onto his back.

"The ocean, deep emotion," you straddle him, kissing him and stroking his hair, unbuttoning his shirt, kissing his chest, he's holding your waist, then you unbutton his pants. "Deep emotion," you repeat. "And sexual desire."

_**A/N: **Well there you go! I am amazed so many people liked this story, but that's good, it's all good. Just in case you were wondering, all the fortune telling things are true. But, because obviously I don't know Roux's hands and Roux's hands are in fact Johnny Depp's hands (bet ya didn't know that eh?) they're based on my hands. And the card thing at the end, that was how I was feeling one particular day when I wrote the last chapter, which was a while ago._

_I'm not imagining sequel to this one, because no great plot immediately springs to mind, but if people want another one, then maybe if I concentrate enough, but you'll have to tell me about it first._

_Lots of love_

_Silver Bell_

_xx_


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